


Find Your Way Home

by flowersheep



Series: Eye of the Phoenix AU [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Gen, noble merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-07-29 05:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16257935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersheep/pseuds/flowersheep
Summary: Merlin returns home after sneaking off to help a knight of Camelot finish his quest.





	Find Your Way Home

**Author's Note:**

> This scene takes place probably within a a day or so of the end of [From Past to Present](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12231900).

Merlin knew the exact moment the watchman spotted him. Even from this distance he could see the man’s spine go rigid before he bolted from his post. By the time Merlin reached the courtyard the entire citadel would know of his return and the council would undoubtedly demand he report to them immediately. He sighed. There went any hope of sneaking off to his chambers for a rest. He rolled his shoulders, adjusting the weight of his pack even though he knew it wouldn’t make a difference. The burns from the Guardian were doing better but there was no way to keep the strap of his pack from digging into them. Jocelyn would most likely need to have a look at it.

As predicted, when Merlin finally trudged into the courtyard a page awaited him, shifting nervously from foot to foot. “My lord,” the page called out, bowing. “The council requests your presence immediately.” Merlin gave a curt nod as he walked past and ascended the stairs. Hopefully they wouldn’t spend too long yelling at him. Now that the promise of his warm, soft bed was so near it was harder to ignored how sore and tired he was.

“I should’ve just snuck in,” Merlin muttered. There was an entrance to the subterranean network of passageways in the valley just off the path before it started up towards the citadel. From there he could’ve reached the passage that lead to his family’s private apartments. The thought had actually crossed his mind, but after everything that had happened in the catacombs he had decided to avoid going back down there. Now he regretted it. A little discomfort in the mountains would’ve been worth avoiding the council for a bit longer. Shunning them now though wouldn’t do him any favors, not after the stunt he’d pulled.

The council chamber was silent when Merlin entered. At the head of the table he saw his father’s shoulders sag in relief. The rest of the table was filled with faces that were either cold and distant or troubled and uncertain. When no one spoke Merlin said, with as much deliberate casualness as possible, “You wanted to speak with me?” For a moment nobody moved. Then one man got to his feet, the absolute last man Merlin wanted to hear from.

“What in the name of the gods were you thinking!” roared Lord Edmond. “You’ve put us all at risk! And for what!” Every eye in the room zeroed in on Merlin, awaiting his explanation.

“I did what I felt was right,” Merlin said.

“You released a prisoner-“

“I didn’t bring the knight here as a prisoner.”

“-one who would see us all dead! This is treason!”

Several members of the council sucked in a sharp breath. Reynard’s mouth actually fell open. Balinor’s eyes narrowed as he growled Edmond’s name in warning. Merlin took a moment to fruitlessly adjust the straps of his pack again.

“Camelot is the enemy!” Edmond hissed.

“That’s your problem!” Merlin snapped. He was tired, far too tired to have the patience to deal with this right now. “That’s everyone’s problem! What has twenty years of war gotten us? What has it done for the freedom of magic? Nothing! We’re never going to convince anyone that magic can be used for good if all they see is us using it to hurt people! All we're doing is proving that Uther Pendragon was right and that magic is evil and that everyone born with even the tiniest drop of it should be killed!"

A couple council members glanced at the head of the table, but Balinor gave no indication that he had any intention of intervening. Some of the council, the older members, looked offended. Others looked pensive.

"It isn't us that openly attacks Camelot with magic," one council member argued. Lord Wimarc, a middle aged man who was generally content to ignore problems that he didn’t view as affecting him.

"No, we just hide away here nursing our anger and resentment, doing nothing to help the people outside of our home," Merlin said. "Nothing is going to change if we don’t do something about it and a good place to start would be showing people all the good that magic can do."

“Not all minds can be changed,” said Lady Irena. She was on the older side of the council, with a stern, elegant face. Her ideals tended to be more conservative and there were even a number of occasions where she’d sided with Edmond, though like most of the council she seemed to find his general behavior a nuisance.

“Uther has committed himself to his path,” Merlin acknowledged. “But that doesn’t mean his son is the same. He’s open to the idea that Uther is wrong about magic, that it isn’t inherently evil. We should be…” It was then that Merlin noticed his father’s subtle gesture to stop talking. A moment later Balinor put a hand over his eyes. Merlin went back over his words and realized as members of the council went wide eyed that he’d said something he definitely shouldn’t have.

Edmond stood again, his face going purple with rage. “Are you telling us,” he said slowly, “that the knight of Camelot you brought here and then released was Uther Pendragon’s son?”

Knowing there was no taking it back, Merlin held his head high and said, “Yes.” Edmond slammed his hands on the table, making several people jump.

“You stupid boy!” he roared. The rest of the table leaped into action. There was so much going on that Merlin couldn’t even tell if there were more people outraged over Arthur or Edmond’s blatant disrespect. Instead of attempting to call the council to order, Balinor quietly left his seat and guided Merlin out of the hall with a hand on his shoulder. His injured shoulder, unfortunately. Merlin grit his teeth, trying not to call attention to it. He'd worried his father enough recently.

“This is one occasion where I would have actually preferred that you ignore a summons from the council,” Balinor said.

“Right, because that wouldn’t have pissed them off,” Merlin said. “Especially after my disappearing act.”

“They would have been annoyed, yes. But that would have been preferable to you blurting out that your knight was really the crown prince of Camelot.” Merlin stumbled as it registered with him that his father had called Arthur his knight. Not the knight. His knight. At that moment, the grip on his shoulder tightened to steer him around a corner. Merlin made a pained sound and ducked out of his father’s hold. Balinor stared at him.

“Are you alright, Merlin?” he asked, alarmed.

“I’m fine,” Merlin said. “Really, it’s nothing.” His father eyed him disbelievingly, but said nothing. He nudged Merlin back into motion, gently, being sure to avoid his injured shoulder.

When they reached the privacy of Merlin’s chambers Balinor said, “Show me.” Merlin sighed and dropped his pack to the ground and began to strip to the waist. “Gods,” his father said, seeing the bandages wrapped around his chest and over his shoulder. The bruises undoubtedly didn’t make it look any better, although those were negligible compared to the burns. Merlin held still as his father carefully unwrapped the bandages. “Merlin what did this?”

“The guardian,” Merlin admitted.

“What were you doing in the catacombs?” Balinor demanded. “You know how dangerous it is!”

“I didn’t plan on going there,” Merlin explained. “Someone released the guardian. It was loose in the mountain passages again. I was going to reseal it-“

“Alone? Merlin-“

“Not alone, not exactly. Arthur was there.”

Balinor closed his eyes for a moment. “Alright. Alright, that’s-“ He paused and took a deep breath. “So where is it now? Is it staying near the catacombs or has it started coming towards the citadel?”

“It’s dead.”

Balinor reeled back in surprise. “Dead?” he repeated. “You’re sure?”

“Positive. Arthur slayed it.”

“Arthur did?” Balinor passed a hand over his face, thinking. “Exactly what happened?”

Merlin took a moment to gather his thoughts. “When we went back to seal it I decided to investigate the catacombs, see if I could find any clues as to why the guardian is there,” Merlin admitted. He expected his father to be outraged that he would be so stupid as to put himself at risk like that, but though Balinor’s expression tightened, he remained silent. “The deeper I went, the more I felt something pulling me in, almost like a light guiding me onwards. Finally we reached a throne room. It was there, Father. The sword in the stone. Just like in the story of Sir Marhaus.”

“That’s just a legend,” Balinor said, though there was uncertainty to his voice.

“Legends are grounded in truth,” Merlin reminded him. “Besides, there’s no other explanation for what I saw. It was a sword stuck fast in solid stone. These were the mountains that the tyrannical sorcerer and his cult lived beneath. The catacombs were once their fortress. And in the throne room was Sir Marhaus’s sword. During the fight with the guardian Arthur pulled it free and used it to slay the monster.”

Balinor was speechless for a long moment. “What did you do with it?” he finally asked. “The sword. Where is it now?”

“Arthur gave it to me before returning to Camelot. It’s safe,” Merlin said. He was vague on purpose. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his father, it was just that the less people who knew a secret, the better. “What really concerns me is all the restless souls trapped in the catacombs. They need to be laid to rest.”

“They will be,” Balinor promised. He sighed and looked at Merlin’s burns again before his eyes slid to something on Merlin’s chest. Or rather, a lack of something. “Your mother’s crest is gone.”

“Oh.” Merlin absently reached up to clutch at it, only for his fingers to close around nothing. “Right. That. I, uh, well…” 

“I see,” Balinor said, understanding entering his expression. “So I suppose a magic sword wasn’t the only thing you exchanged with Arthur was it.” 

Merlin felt his face heat with embarrassment, but lifted his chin and said, “That is none of your business, Father.”

“I think it’s a little bit my business,” Balinor said, amusement twinkling in his eyes. He looked at the burns again and the amusement faded. “Jocelyn should really look at those.”

“Yeah, I thought as much.”

“I’ll have her stop by. And I’ll have Sefa bring you something to eat.”

“What about the council?”

“I’ll deal with the council. Right now you need to rest, Merlin.” Balinor guided him gently by his uninjured shoulder over to a chair draped with furs in front of the cold fireplace. Flames jumped to life and if Merlin turned he knew he would see the telltale shimmer of gold fading from his father’s eyes.

“I could’ve done that,” Merlin said around a yawn. Now that he was sitting if felt like all the energy drained out of him. “Hm, maybe I should be lying down in bed.”

“Not until Jocelyn has had a chance to look at your injuries and you’ve had something to eat,” his father said. Balinor lingered by his chair.

“I’m fine, Father,” Merlin said, flashing him a tired smile. Balinor’s smile was strained. He gave Merlin’s good shoulder a squeeze before leaving. When the door fell shut, Merlin leaned back in the chair and let his eyes slide shut, enjoying the warmth of the fire. He slid his hand into the pocket of his trousers, fingers curling around the ring tucked safely away there, and remembered the promise it represented.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot of fun writing Lord Edmond he's such a jackass


End file.
